Snape's Reward
by HahAnotherWeasley
Summary: In death he finally found what he'd been absent of in life.
1. Chapter 1

Snape's Reward

the light left the dark eyes, and his hand fell from where it had grasped Harry's shoulder, he fell quickly and easily into a slumber, at peace, knowing all he could do had been done. He faintly heard a murmur of voices, he could smell the undergrowth on which he lay, and suddenly he felt surrounded. his eyes shifted, and he saw many pairs of feet encircling him in the white haze of what he could only presume to be an afterlife. funny, Severus thought –he'd always wondered what came after the vibrancy of life. He was at Hogwarts, down by the lake.

"Sev" a womans voice whispered softly, though every electron in his body seemd to stand on end. his dark eyes swivelled upwards swiftly, his heart beating and swelling with love. Warm hands grasped his shoulders, and after eighteen years he looked upon the face of his Lily.

"Sev" she beamed "thank you. thank you." she now pulled him into a hug, and his heart burst, his eyes wept, and he was overcome with happiness. Vaguely, somewhere behind her, he heard footsteps ,and with a glance, he saw Potter Senior, and his following Marauders behind him. Snape involuntarily tensed, expecting taunts, and retribution.

He withdrew from his Lily's embrace, and prepared to slink off into the distance, leaving the Potters, and the Marauders behind, but James's voice stopped him.

"don't" he started "don't go _Severus." _the use of his proper name, as opposed to degrading taunts stopped him further, and he was now wondering what was happening.

"don't want to break up the family unit" Snape mumbled, to which James replied

"nonsense, you saved him."

"I didn't do it for him," Snape mumbled, shifting uncomfortably. At these words Lily blushed, but James pressed on.

"But you did it." James then stepped forward, hand outstretched to Snape, who left a pregnant pause before taking it. "thank you."

Snape nodded, and then again tried to leave.

"Stay" Lily breathed, with both a look of compassion to Snape, and a daggered flash of her almond green eyes to her Husband, who now also shifted on his feet.

"Look, Severus," and here James licked his lips, searching for words which had long since needed to be spoken "I'm sorry all right..."Snape waved his words away

"doesn't matter"

"It does. You saved my son. Even though you hated me. You hated me for what I did to you at school, you hated me for having Lily's love. And I'm sorry for the former, but you've got to understand." Here Lily spoke also

"I love you Sev, I love you more than James, but in a different way. You're family. You were the first person to know me, the real me, with magic and everything and accept me."

Severus nodded, tears dripping off his nose.

The marauders and Lily enveloped him into an embrace, and though awkwardness lingered, love and gratitude prevailed. In death Snape found what he had been in absence of all his life, Love, and Friendship. He took the place of Peter, the marauder who lost his way, and though his heart was heavy with unrequited love, his spirit soared with the joy of companionship. Not everyone, he realised has a perfect heaven, sometimes even in death you have to settle for what you can get.

Lily didn't requite his love, but it didn't hurt. They were together, together in death, the gryffindors and the slytherin who was braver than all of them.


	2. Chapter 2

Review feedback:

"Severus will never be a Marauder, not even in the afterlife, and that's just

about the greatest praise anyone can give him. A Slytherin does not become a

Gryffindor just because he's heroic, nor should he."

I'm not saying he was a Gryffindor, I'm saying he was braver than one. and snape deserves the greatest praise anyone can give him, because he gave up the most, and went through the most, for a love of someone even when they died.

thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far. it means a lot to me. Hope you like the second chapter!

Harry turned the stone thrice in hand, and suddenly he was surrounded with people. His heart leapt as he saw all the people he loved surrounding him.

"Mum" he breathed, "Dad?" and they nodded, and outstretched their hands. he ran towards them, and his heart, which had been so high ,sank when he found he couldn't touch them.

"You've been so brave" Lily said, "so brave." James put his arm around his wife, before addressing his son.

"You've done so much, son, we're so proud of you."

"All of us" Sirius said, with Remus nodding in agreement.

"I never wanted any of you to die for me, " Harry said, looking around the group. His eyes found Moody, who looked more whole than he had in all the time that Harry had known him, took a serious tone, stating that

"It was my job laddie. everyone has a time. My time was up saving you. "

Fred, simply shrugged, a half grin on his face, but feeling utterly sad. He didn't belong on his own, Harry thougt. Tonks and Remus were together, their hands intwined, and both of them looked happy- something which struck Harry as odd, considering they'd left their son behind.

"Remus, Tonks, your son!" He said, an attempt to convey his apology for their dying, seemingly for him.

"He will be told what his mother and father died for. That we died to make the world better for him. He will know we love him." Remus started,

"And besides" Tonks added with a beaming grin "Remus doesn't change here. None of us hurt here."

Their eyes locked, and Harry understood what this meant to them.

Behind the immediate group Harry noticed a figure. He pushed past those closest to him, and went over him.

"Thank you." He said. "sir."

Lily appeared behind her son.

"I thought we told you Sev, you're not an outsider here. You saved him. you're part of us."

And she went back to her husbands side, her son following. Severus swallowed what might have been tears, and followed suit.

"stay with me?" Harry pleaded, needing to know before he faced death?

"until the end" James said,

"we never left." Sirius added. "we were always here" and with his final word he pointed to Harry's chest. Remus and Tonks wordlessly agreed

Lily, beaming, though her eyes were full of tears, simply added

"always." Snape's eyes became filled with tears, and he swiftly looked to the floor with a curt nod. Harry gave his family a cursory final look, before going to face death, knowing he was loved.


End file.
